The Test
by Winter Violet
Summary: Naruto is nine years old and has to take a difficult Academy exam. But when one student is absent for the exam, he sets his troubles aside to go looking for him. One shot.


The little boy named Naruto sat hunched over his place at the long, curving table that stretched along the back wall of the room. His blonde hair was twisted between his fingers, and he tightened his fists in frustration as the sheet of paper set before him continued to refuse to make any sense.

He glanced to the front of the room; the instructor was staring into space, tapping his pencil absent-mindedly against the knuckles of his left hand. He snuck a glance to his right next. The lazy Shikamaru had his test turned over and pushed to the front of the desk and his head resting in his folded arms, apparently asleep. Naruto gritted his teeth. He darted his eyes to the left. Chouji was working steadily at his exam, his brow furrowed but his hand moving near the bottom of the sheet. He puckered his lips, sweeping his eyes quickly over the room. Most of the students appeared to be done or finishing.

He pulled his hair harder and stared again at his paper. "Dammit," he muttered.

"Quiet in the back."

Naruto bent lower over the table. His instructor, Iruka, watched him for a moment before resuming his vigil over the rest of the room. A few students glanced around at the disruption before settling back into their work. A little girl in the front row turned her pink-haired head to glare briefly at Naruto. Noticing, he let his head sink further yet towards his test.

Untangling his right hand from his hair, he leaned heavily on his left and focused on the third question on the page. He read it once, and then again. His fingers tightened again in his hair and around his pencil. Frowning, he struck a dark line through the blank space and moved to the next question. His face tightened as he read the words, one by one. After a moment, he bit his lip and drew another dark line. He glanced at the next question. Another line. The next. Another line. He stopped only when he reached the bottom of the page. Staring for a moment, he dropped his pencil and turned the paper over, pushing it away and leaning back in his seat, his arms hugging his chest and his eyes glaring down into the next row.

He heard the rustle of Chouji's exam being flipped over as well, but he did not look. After a few more minutes, Iruka's always-measured voice filled the room.

"Time," he announced. "Exams in."

Pencils and papers around the room scratched and skittered, and one by one the tests were passed to the end of the rows and then down to the front of the class. Iruka came forward from behind his desk and gathered them from the students in the aisle seats in the front rows, nodding as he turned to his left to his right to gather the second stack from the smiling Sakura.

"Thirty minute recess," he said once he had returned to his desk. "Then back here for your scores and homework assignments. Dismissed."

His students jumped, slouched, and slipped out of their seats, moving to file out of the classroom amidst the sudden murmur of nine year old voices.

Naruto was one of the slouchers. Chouji stood and stretched, looking over Naruto's blonde head to Shikamaru. Naruto followed his gaze and reached over to prod the sleeping boy.

"Hey," he muttered, his usually chipper voice subdued. "Test is over."

The boy grumbled and shifted his head so that it rested more comfortably in his arms. "Wake me after recess, then," he mumbled.

Naruto glanced at Chouji. The larger boy shrugged and started to sidle out of the row. Naruto gave one last look to Shikamaru before standing up and following. When they cleared the edge of the table, Naruto ducked by Chouji to hop down the steps of the center aisle, invigorated now that he was out of his seat. Chouji passed Iruka's desk with a polite nod, which the instructor returned. Naruto offered a distinctly less polite nod, which Iruka returned with a raised brow.

Once they were out of the room, Naruto's shoulders slumped and he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his orange pants. "Stupid test," he grumbled.

Chouji nodded. "I had to guess too much on that one."

Naruto sighed. "Yeah, well, that's not really being a ninja anyway. Who cares about that stuff?" He straightened up as he spoke, tucking his hands behind his head and stretching his back.

"Yeah," Chouji said. He looked off down the hall, scratching one of the spirals painted onto his chubby cheeks. "I'm going to my locker. You coming to the gym?"

Naruto shook his head. "I gotta get outside or something. Too cramped up in here!" He turned down the hall leading to the front doors, dodging a cluster of chattering students. "See you back in class!" he called.

Chouji raised a hand in farewell, and the boys parted ways. Naruto moved quickly down the hall, weaving between bodies and offering "watch out!" warnings to those who lingered in his way. Only when he reached the doors and pushed his way through did he finally slow down.

He descended a few steps and plopped down onto one cement ledge, stretching his sandaled feet out in front of him and wiggling his toes in the sunshine. "Stupid test," he grumbled. The spring breeze stirred his golden hair, and he closed his eyes against it, huffing out a short breath.

After a moment, he opened his eyes and sat squinting out over the row of tall hedges that obscured the Academy lawn from the village street. He remained that way for several minutes, stirring only when another boy dropped down beside him.

"You're in my spot," the other child mumbled around a bite of the sandwich he held loosely in his right hand.

"Doesn't say 'Kiba' anywhere on this step," Naruto countered, making a show of searching the cement for any sign of writing before turning to glare at the boy.

"Yeah, well, I always come out here at recess." He was looking out towards the hedges rather than at Naruto, and his disinterested tone did not carry any ill will.

Naruto watched him for a moment and then shrugged, relaxing his posture a bit. "Big enough for us both, I guess."

Kiba shrugged, too. "You bring lunch?" he said after a moment, digging into his school bag for a foil-wrapped half sandwich and offering it to his companion.

But Naruto waved it off. "No thanks—going out for ramen right after class is out."

The brown-haired boy stowed the food again and chewed quietly. After a moment, he leaned back and spoke again. "That test was murder, huh?"

Naruto slumped back on the steps too. "No kidding."

"Did you study?"

"Nah, not really," Naruto lied.

"Me neither. My mom gave me a ton of work to do at home last night."

Naruto merely nodded, frowning, and the boys were quiet again. Naruto pulled his orange sleeves up to his elbows; it was warm out under in the direct sun. Kiba chomped down the last of his sandwich and brushed the crumbs from his black t-shirt to the steps.

"Hey, did you see Uchiha Sasuke was missing?" he asked, pushing himself to his feet.

Naruto looked up at him, a puzzled expression lining his brow. "No." He paused. "But that guy never misses."

"Yeah, I know," Kiba said. "_And_ he always gets high passes. But he failed today for sure."

Naruto stood up slowly, checking his sandal straps and the rolled cuffs of his pants as he straightened. "Weird. Well, at least I'm not the only one who's gonna get called out in class."

Kiba grinned. "You mean at least _we're_ not the only _two_."

Naruto walked slowly back to his seat once recess was over, leaving Kiba at the second to last row and climbing up to squeeze behind Chouji and collapse into his chair. But before he could get comfortable, his eyes narrowed and he leaned forward to look down and to his left. His eyes fixed on a particular seat in the middle row next to window. It was empty. He sat back again, a pensive light flickering in his eyes. But he remained still for only a second before rousing himself suddenly and glancing down his own table; sure enough, Shikamaru was still snoring lightly in his seat. Naruto reached over to poke him in the ribs.

"Hey! Wake up."

The boy groaned in annoyance and arched his body away. "Leave me alone," he grumbled, not bothering to raise his head.

"Class is starting," Chouji whispered as their instructor stood up at the front of the room.

"Hey." Naruto poked him again, leaning over to reach his withdraw form. "Wake. Up."

Shikamaru grumbled again but obliged this time by lifting his head and resting his chin heavily in his cupped hands. "Fine," he muttered. "Awake."

Chouji, satisfied, settled back in his seat. Naruto poked the boy a third time.

"Naruto!" he growled, dropping one arm to swat groggily at the offending hand. "I'm _awake_."

Iruka was clearing his throat. He held a stack of papers in his hands.

Naruto leaned back in his chair, grinning. "_You_ asked _me_ to wake you, lazy."

He had spoken rather loudly. Iruka gave him a sharp look.

"Whatever," Shikamaru drawled. "Quiet already and listen."

Iruka's eyes snapped to the dark-haired boy, who merely blinked and half-lidded his eyes as he waited for the teacher to begin the announcements.

The man watched the pair for a moment longer before turning his attention to the class. "Now that we have quiet," he started, "I will announce the scores. Remember that if you have failed the exam, you will have to schedule a make-up within a week."

Naruto groaned, pinching his pencil where it lay on the table and letting it drop back down with a dull clatter. Iruka gave him yet another pointed glance.

"The results will be announced in no particular order, and when your name is called you may come forward to retrieve your exam."

Naruto sighed. "The walk of shame," he muttered.

"Get mine while you're up there," Shikamaru mumbled, half asleep again.

Iruka had already mentioned a few names, and the respective students rose to claim their work.

"Haruno Sakura," he continued. "High pass."

The girl gave a triumphant squeak and popped up from her table to approach Iruka's desk. He handed her the exam with a smile and a nod. She was blushing when she returned to her seat, but she held her head high.

"Inuzuka Kiba. Pass."

The boy sat stunned for a moment before sliding from his seat and retrieving his exam wordlessly. The dark-haired girl sitting next to him congratulated him shyly, but he grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

The instructor rattled off several more names as Naruto watched the back of Kiba's head, waiting for his own name to be called.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Iruka called, frowning a little as he set a blank exam aside on his desk. "Fail."

Naruto looked up. A few students murmured, and more than one head turned in the direction of the empty seat.

"Uzumaki Naruto. Fail."

The boy sighed as he rose and started the long descent to the front of the class.

"Nara Shikamaru. Pass. Akamichi Chouji. Pass."

Naruto had reached the desk at this point, and Iruka handed him his exam with a meaningful look in his eyes. Naruto took the paper and trudged back up the steps, around Chouji and the slow-moving Shikamaru. He folded the exam over without looking at it and stuffed it in his jacket pocket, choosing instead to look again at the empty chair. He leaned over to the boy at the end of the row as he passed.

"Shino," he said quietly, "where is Sasuke?" He nodded to the vacant place by the window.

The quiet boy followed the gesture with a slight turn of his head before looking back to Naruto. "Absent," he said simply.

Naruto rolled his eyes and continued up the steps. "Figured _that_ out myself," he muttered.

Once Naruto had regained his seat, he pulled a scrap of paper out of his bag and waited in silence, his head resting against his left palm, until the rest of the students had claimed their exams and Iruka began explaining the homework assignments. He scribbled these down quickly and stuffed both pen and paper into his bag, ready to pop out of his seat as soon as Iruka gave the word.

"… and practice your shuriken techniques," the instructor was saying, "as we will be having our practical exam on Friday."

The man locked eyes with Naruto and paused a moment. Naruto fidgeted. Iruka smiled faintly. "And that's all for today. You are dismissed."

And he was up and out, waving to Chouji and Shikamaru and punching Kiba in the shoulder as he vaulted down the steps and out of the classroom.

The day was hotter still when Naruto emerged from the Academy and walked at a quick clip down the street. The breeze lingered, though, cutting the heat just enough to keep the late spring day pleasant. He unzipped his orange and blue jacket as he strolled on, but, as he had for months now, refused to take the garment off. The boy's stomach protested mightily as he bypassed the ramen shop on his way through the village, but he patted it reassuringly and promised they would be back soon.

Another ten minutes of walking brought him to the outskirts of the town, to the place few people approached and fewer entered. Naruto slowed his pace as he walked along the rise overlooking the lake that bordered the Uchiha District. The late afternoon sun scintillated in the slow waves that lolled across the clear, glassy water. Naruto measured his steps, admiring the place not for the first time. Dark trees hung low on the distant banks, lending a quiet frame to the scene.

Then the boy's eyes strayed to the weathered dock that stretched over the water, and he stopped.

The dark-haired Uchiha boy was stationed there at the end of the dock, where Naruto had seen him many times, gazing out over the water. But this time his legs were drawn to his chest rather than dangling over the edge, and his chin rested on the arms he held folded across his knees. This was not the relaxed, slouch-shouldered pose the boy usually had when Naruto saw him as he passed by the lake on the way to the training grounds.

Naruto slipped his hand into his pocket and crinkled the exam paper. Iruka had told them more than once that work missed for unexcused absences could not be made up. He started down the embankment, skidding and hopping down the steep slope. As he drew closer, he slowed, frowning. The boy at the end of the dock did not move at all; he just sat there, staring out over the lake.

Taking a breath, Naruto pushed on, and his sandaled feet clapped down on the wood of the deck.

Sasuke's shoulders tensed, but he did not turn. Naruto stopped walking.

"Hey," he called good-naturedly.

The other boy turned his head only slightly.

"Hey," Naruto said again. "You missed an exam today." The silence of the lake rushed in to fill the space between his words. "I came to tell you, in case you forgot."

Sasuke's arms shifted across his knees. He turned his face away again. "… Thanks," he said. He hesitated. "I know."

Naruto frowned, taking a few more steps down the dock. "Well, if you want to make it up, you have to tell Iruka why you missed or you'll be unexcused."

He did not get an answer this time, and he looked more closely at the boy. He was dressed for school; he even had his bag at his side.

"Hey. Why didn't you come? It was a big test. You haven't got less than a high pass yet."

The boy shuddered. Naruto looked out over the lake as a cool breeze swept up the dock. After a moment, his gaze fell again to his schoolmate's back.

"Sasuke?"

"Thanks," the boy said again, quietly. "I'll..." He stopped suddenly. When he spoke again, Naruto had to strain to hear him. "I'll talk to him."

Naruto's frown deepened. "Okay," he said, "sure." He started to turn away. "You need anything?" he offered suddenly, looking back. "… Are you sick?"

A shake of the boy's head signaled no to both questions. He still did not budge from his place.

"Okay," Naruto repeated. He started off again. "Oh! Shuriken exam is Friday—Iruka said remember to practice."

Sasuke flinched. Naruto stared anew. The lapping of the waves on the shore, against the supports of the dock, was suddenly loud in the still air.

"Thanks," the dark-haired boy murmured a third time.

Naruto stepped off the dock. "I'm going to the ramen shop," he offered. "If you get hungry, you can come, too."

The boy said nothing, and after a long moment Naruto pulled himself away, leaving the child perched alone at the end of the dock.

Naruto did not take the short way back into town, electing instead to finish the circuit that kept him near the lake until the path had circled the Uchiha District and meandered back into the main part of the village. He was distracted as he walked, his hands tucked into his pants pockets and his eyes watching the lake long after Sasuke's form had been obscured from sight.

It was not long before he reached a monument that had, every other time he had taken this path, caused him to turn back and retrace his steps. But today he ducked his nine-year-old head and trudged onward, a sudden resolve hardening in his blue eyes.

When he reached the glossy black stone, he stared for a long moment at the grass growing around its base before lifting his eyes to its engraved surface. Name after name flitted before his eyes as his gaze drifted across the rectangular monument—all belonged to members of the Uchiha clan. Naruto bit his lip, tears starting in his eyes. He looked up; two glass vases rested atop the monument, just above the inlaid symbol of a red and white fan. The larger container was offset slightly from the center and held a bundle of white lilies; the second stood centered alongside it and contained only two.

The boy stared at the flowers, blinking away the moisture in his eyes. His jaw tightened as he lifted a small hand to pluck a stray leaf from between the petals of one of the lilies. He remembered, then, getting the news from Iruka during class one morning the previous year. Hearing why Uchiha Sasuke would not be attending class. Being shocked, feeling sickened when he strayed to the roped-off Uchiha District in search of the boy. Feeling ashamed that he had turned away. Not having anyone explain to him what exactly had happened. Not being able to meet the boy's downcast eyes when he finally did come back to the Academy—not being able to find any words that seemed possible to say until at last the silence became normal.

He let the leaf fall to the grass. He forced his shaking hand back into his pocket.

"Sasuke," he said, his voice barely a whisper.

He turned his nine-year-old body and started back down the path, retracing his steps. He walked quickly, stumbling in his haste—and then he ran, ran as hard as he could. But when he arrived, his lungs burning for breath, at the top of the rise, the boy at the end of the dock was gone.


End file.
